


You Have My Heart

by Misttiique



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Demon Hunters, Alternate Universe - Demons, Demon Hunters, Demons, Friends to Lovers, Implied Sexual Content, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, slight gore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-15 11:27:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21252635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Misttiique/pseuds/Misttiique
Summary: There’s an unmistakable squelch as Keith’s palm grasps the blackened heart through the uncomfortably warm liquid surrounding it. The heart is slightly bigger than his palm, probably belonging to a being that was larger than himself.Carefully, he pulls his hand out from the jar. The heart sits in his palm, heavier than he expected.Then, there’s a knock on the door of the balcony him.“You summoned me?” A deep voice asks from behind.





	You Have My Heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [myukur](https://archiveofourown.org/users/myukur/gifts).

> I was kinda inspired by OUAT's concept of controlling someone by their heart when I was writing this.

It was a lot colder for October than Keith remembered. Already, the ground was crunchy with red and brown leaves. They littered the entirely of the driveway and the old mansion’s multiple roofs. Strong gusts of wind blew some of the leaves down, raining onto Keith as he inspects the gothic architecture — a beautiful black facade decorated with intricate features. As all old mansions stand to loom over visitors, this one was no different. 

Keith wouldn’t be a visitor any more either, he’ll be an occupant for the next few months or at least until the job was done. 

“Pretty nice place, huh? Fitting for demon hunters, if I do say so myself,” his mother comments, wrapping an arm around her son’s shoulders. 

“Yeah, it’s cool but it won’t matter much. We’ll be done with the job in no time.”

Krolia smiles at him and pats his back. She couldn’t be more proud when her son decided to join the business of demon hunting, and they were actually pretty good at it. They’ve travelled and lived from place to place, led only by the job description and price. What made them stand out from the rest was their actual techniques and skills when it came to demon hunting. It was something that ran in their blood, which made them proud of who they were. 

Keith could say the same most of the time — because it was hard to be able to connect with everyone when he would already be leaving the place. The loneliness was one of the downsides but it helped also that Keith’s always busy. 

“Let’s get unpacking, shall we?” Krolia says, more cheerfully, as if they were getting their stuff from the car to go to a holiday resort. 

A chill tingled Keith’s spine but he couldn’t remember the last time that it made him feel fear. He’s seen it all — possibly captured them all. 

His mother has probably gotten this house dirt cheap, he thinks to himself. A tour around the house led his discovery that certain places had no electricity, was crumbling and had probably been built for a very important, or rich, person many, many decades ago. The rooms were surprisingly furnished under the long white sheets. 

The room Keith picked was the one on the highest floor, with a balcony to see the outside, though his reason for it was mostly about the room having the least amount of dust. 

Pictures decorated the long hallways, reflections of the past that people have long forgotten. He didn’t have time to spend looking at all of them when he was busy unloading belongings and equipment from their car.

By the time Krolia and Keith were done with moving in, the sun had long set. They ate their dinner in silence, the light above them flickering as if unsure of their presence. Keith remarks about fixing it and whatever lighting that wasn’t working tomorrow. 

The first couple of days when they start a new job would be to get settled in, and usually, it’ll be quiet. 

The waxing moon rose high that night, a full moon would be approaching them soon. 

With only the flashlight of his phone as a guide through some hallways, Keith regrets not checking out the electrical system earlier. Wooden floorboards creaked under his heel as he made his way through most of the darkness. They didn’t creep him out, after all, he was a demon hunter. Still, Keith couldn’t shake off the feeling he’s being watched. He climbs all the way to the top floor of the mansion to his room, glancing at the portraits along the way. The most striking one was of a man with scars across his face, black hair and sunken eyes with huge pupils that seem to focus on the person looking at the picture. 

Keith points his phone at the bottom of the frame to read out the name of the man. “Zarkon,” he reads, which must be the name of the man that used to this mansion. He flicks the light upward, eyes wondering around the rest of the portrait. He takes a step back, realizing from this new angle that the background of the picture was a study. It looked like an ordinary study at first but studying its details, Keith notices objects in large mason jars on the shelves of the study. One of them, in particular, catches his eye — a heart or what could be a heart from its shape. It must be commonplace to study these things in the old days, Keith explains to himself. But it doesn’t change the fact that it was kind of weird. 

He heads up to his room, the thoughts of his discovery dissipating as he closes his eyes. There’s an unshakable feeling that there’s something watching him, but he tells himself it’s only natural because of the nature of his work. 

That night, he dreams of a dark space with fog all around him. He can’t make out much other than the wisps curling around his limbs, as if trying to hold him down. 

He wakes up to hot sunlight pouring in from the balcony. The dream fades from his mind as work takes over. 

Together with his mother, they meet with their new clients about their demon problem. It’s the usual type, they learn, but it would take some time to get the job done. Krolia recommends they return the following day with equipment and decide on what they’ll do after. 

It’s night by the time Keith gets back to the mansion. “You go to bed first, Mom,” Keith suggests from looking at Krolia’s fatigue expression and yawns. “I’ll charge the equipment and test them out so we’ll be able to bring them tomorrow morning.”

“Thanks, Keith,” his mother replies. She ruffles his hair, like she used to do when he was younger. It’s always been just the both of them and no doubt, the action hits him with enough nostalgia to fill buckets. It was only the both of them travelling from place to place, mission to mission, never really putting down roots. 

Every step Keith takes down the winding staircase to the basement makes his hair stand on the edge. His mother would tell him sometimes that fear was an essential part of their job; it was important to be able to recognize when there was something out of the ordinary in the situation and it acts as a guide of how to act accordingly. Just don’t let it control you, she would remind him. 

His ears wait for the slightest noise in the darkness and his eyes look only at the light from his flashlight, not wandering any further. This place was a lot creepier than the others he’d been too, and this wasn’t even where the mission was at. 

The basement is bigger than he expects, and it seems that most of it have been cleared away. To his luck, the fuse box is between a door and the staircase. He balances the flashlight between his shoulder and neck, switching and plugging wires around here and there. Once, they’re not entangled and are in a sort of clear manner with hopefully the right wires in the right parts, he closes the fuse box tight. 

Just as he’s about to turn back to the staircase, the door next to him creaks open the slightest bit. His heart pounds wildly in his chest, faster than a bat’s wings in flight. It must have been a creature of the night, like a bat or a rat, that caused that sound. Maybe, even the wind from the inside, Keith tries to explain to himself. He’s afraid but there’s something about this situation that attracts him like a moth to a flame. It might be the thrill or the excitement of knowing what else could there be awaiting him in the dark. 

He holds the flashlight tightly, steeling himself before the pushes the door open and shines the light inside. 

It is the study from the portrait in the hall. That’s the first thought he has. 

It’s not as neat as it used to be with clusters of papers on the floor and desk. Some books were even strewn around. 

However, the main objects that catch his attention, as it did before, were on the shelves. He swings his flashlight around, taking the sight of the study around him in. The large mason jars were on high shelves in every side of the room. They held things from brains, though he wasn’t sure if they were human or not, to small animals, and dark, odd-shaped things that he presumed were body parts. He does another full 360, partly in awe and partly in shock. 

Then, he notices it. He doesn’t recall seeing this on the desk when he opened the door of the study, neither when he was gazing around the room. 

It was almost as if it was waiting for him to chance on it, but Keith warns himself before he can go so far. 

He shines his light, revealing yellowish liquid and what could only be a human heart inside. It’s grown dark, but the veins around it protrude all the same. Some part of him wants to know more about it, and possibly what it could do. 

He recalls reading in one of his mother’s demon-hunting anthologies about finding the heart of a demon and being able to control it. Now, he wonders, could that possibly be true? Or, is this a normal human heart. Either way, whatever fear he’s felt at the beginning and only curiosity remain. 

The mason jar with the black heart is sat on his desk, moonlight shining through the liquid to cast a reflection onto the wall. Keith sits in his bed, staring into the jar. The heart doesn’t move, obviously, but it’s strange to see the organ of life stagnant in a jar. He’s never seen an actual heart in the jar and the process it must have undergone to remain in that state. 

He gets out of his bed to get a closer look at the jar. His fingers trace the outline of the heart, as if he was actually feeling it. Maybe he should consult with his mother on this because it may be helpful to their case, since the vibes he’s been getting here were nothing but weird. 

And yet, in spite of that thought, his curiosity grows so strong, he opens the jar. 

The smell is the first thing that hits him. The overpowering scent of the decaying flesh combined with strong acid fills the air. Well, it’s a good thing his balcony is wide open. 

There’s an unmistakable  _ squelch  _ as his palm grasps the blackened heart through the uncomfortable warm liquid surrounding it. The heart is slightly bigger than his palm, probably belonging to a being that was larger than himself. 

Carefully, he pulls his hand out from the jar. The heart sits in his hand, heavier than he expected. He moves toward the moonlight of the balcony to get a closer look. Creases covered most of its outer surface, Keith notices, turning the heart over. It’s cold, a piece of raw flesh that’s just been removed from who knows how long it’s been inside the jar. 

Keith gazes up to see that it’s a full moon tonight and the moon stares back at him, a constant reminder that he wasn’t going to be alone tonight. 

There’s a vibration in his hand, a small jolt of something coming to life. Looking down, the heart starts to beat. It’s muscles pushing against impossibility to move. His hands are flat, carrying the heart, there’s no way the thing could be moving on its own without anyone moving it. Something in him wants to drop the heart but clearly, if it could beat on its own, it’s too powerful for that. 

The heart starts off slow but it seems to be getting faster and faster, as if it were a real heart being started again. 

Keith’s eyes widened in horror. What does this mean now? He knew it was a mistake taking the heart out of its resting place and what’s more, he realizes that he’s brought it under the moonlight as well. 

The heart doesn’t seem to care if Keith knows or not, it continues its rhythmic beats. He stands there, watching it, mesmerized by its actions, even listening and feeling the valves open and close by themselves. 

A knock on the balcony jolts him back to reality. It must be his mother but he turns around to find someone — or something — completely different. 

Keith guesses he must only reach the shoulders of him. He’s human-like, Keith observes, and so, so much bigger than he is. He stands at the threshold of the balcony and his knock on the door is politely concealing what his smirk reveals. 

He wears a sleek black suit with a red tie and his white moonlight-tinted hair was slicked back. The most striking features of his gorgeous face were those fiery eyes that could consume anything in its path and the pink scar across the bridge of his nose. Those stood out against his pale skin and complimented the sharp jawline. He’s devilishly handsome that it literally takes Keith’s breath away. 

“You summoned me?” He asks, as Keith’s still catching his breath. The room suddenly gets a lot hotter than the chilly October evening it is supposed to be. 

“What— how— what are you?”

Keith already could guess the answer on his own, he just needed to confirm it. 

“The demon you summoned when you took my heart out of that jar and into the moonlight.”

Keith’s astonished expression must have suggested disbelief because here they were: a demon and a demon hunter, who’s entranced by what he sees and actually doesn’t know how he should react or what he should do right now, even though that’s his job. 

“I summoned you through this heart, right here?” Keith lifts the heart in his hands up. 

“Yes, yes you did. Now, what is it you need me to fulfil?” The demon rolls his eyes, folding his arms as he leans against the door. 

So his mother’s books were right then, Keith concludes. 

“Oh, wow… sorry, I’m just a little in shock right now,” Keith admits. 

“That’s all right, Keith. Whenever you decide on what you’ll have me fulfilled, just let me know.”

“You know my name?”

The demons smirk grows wider. “Obviously. The minute you held onto that jar, I got all the information I needed. And, besides seeing a demon hunter, or anyone, in this house for the first time in a long, long while, is exciting.”

“Exciting? You do realize you’re a demon and I’m a demon hunter, right?”

“Yeah, I do. However, you don’t even know what you’re going to do with me yet, so I’m not going to make anything happen. It’s been a long while since I’ve received orders.”

This whole situation is insane to Keith, and he’s been through some pretty crazy stuff but never did he ever think that this demon would be calm, collected, waiting to be commanded… and hot?

He’s never encountered anything like this before. He thinks about his demon-hunting dagger in his jacket pocket on the other side of the room but, what if this demon was telling the truth. 

“How does this all work, exactly?” Keith asks. 

“So, you’re holding my heart, you get to control me and command me to do whatever you desire.”

“How do I know you’re not lying or trying to trick me in some way? What if there are consequences?”

“There will be no consequences if you make the right choices. Because you’re holding my heart, I’m bound to follow your word.” The demon’s tone is honest and matter-of-fact. As if he reads Keith’s thoughts the moment it pops into his head, he answers, “Yes, I did work for the man in the portrait hanging in the hallway. He put my heart in the jar and no one has touched it since. Trust me when I say, I don’t have a choice but to do as I’m told. I’m bound to whoever holds my heart.”

Keith considers for a moment. His mind tries to wrap itself across all of this but it’s a complete hundred and eighty from what it’s used to. 

“Listen, if you’re not comfortable with this arrangement, you can always put my heart back into the jar and this would have never happened.” 

Keith bites his lip. This would be a rare occurrence and surely, this would be a huge help when tracking down the demons for this particular mission. For so long, he only knew what demons were from the books and whatever experienced he could get from the field. Now, he can get a chance to learn about one up close and this could help him hone his skills to make him better at demon-hunting than he could ever be. It would be a learning experience and he should at least give this a shot. 

“Fine, I’ll…” Keith can’t believe he’s saying this. “I’ll do it.”

“Wise choice, Keith,” the demon replies. “And the names Shiro, by the way.”

During the day, there’ll be the mission to focus on. During the night, Keith would learn more about Shiro’s kind. It did help the mission that Shiro could find out more than Keith or Krolia could. In addition, it never actually felt like a command when Keith asks Shiro to find out or to do something. 

Night after night, Keith couldn’t wait to get home to his room, where Shiro would be waiting for him. It was usually lonely, but now it is much less so. He didn’t want to wait to see Shiro’s warm smile and demeanour, welcoming and encouraging him forward. Shiro’s dark humour and kind nature only made Keith fall harder than he should’ve. 

One day, the mission was coming to an end and Keith’s confession was on the tip of his lips. He didn’t know how long he could keep his feelings a secret. Krolia would never have approved of this in the first place, but Keith’s emotions never waned for a second after meeting Shiro. Shiro’s response was to meet Keith’s confession as it left his lips. Shiro’s lips were much hotter than he expected but he liked it just the same. As the days grew colder, their love grew warmer. 

The last remaining days of the mission rolls by. Keith places his hand over Shiro’s bare chest, the spot where his heart was supposed to be. “Shiro,” he murmurs, “if there were a chance I could command you to be unbound, would you take it?”

“Keith, it doesn’t work that way. I… I don’t know how to be unbound.” Shiro’s fiery eyes look softly into Keith’s. He places his own hand over Keith’s equally bare chest. “I wouldn’t want that for you anyway. You’ll be stuck with me and my heart in a jar,” Shiro says with a bleak laugh. “It may take a sacrifice and nothing is worth being lost for me.”

“I just… I want to spend my whole life with you. And, I don’t want you to be bounded as a demon forever. I… I… love you, Shiro.”

“Keith, I love you so much.” Shiro wipes a tear away from Keith’s eye. “I love you more than my heart can beat on.” 

He traces where Keith’s heart is. “But, I wouldn’t want this to stop beating either.”

“You already have my heart, Shiro.”

“And, you have mine.”

The final days were closer than ever. Keith’s spent majority of the time searching relentlessly through all the books and articles he could get his hands on. But, there was nothing. The fear creeps into his own heart, leaving Keith wondering if it is becoming blackened too. 

That was until he glanced at the portrait in the hall again. That day, he sent Shiro on a small mission of making sure everything in his case was settled before he departs with his mother to whatever their next mission or job was. 

He sprints back into the study where it all started. Surprisingly now, he wasn’t afraid anymore. He searched until the sun had set before he found a yellowed old scroll. On it, Shiro’s heart was drawn in dark red ink — it would have been fitting to be written in blood. It explained what Shiro was, which Keith had already heard from Shiro himself. At the very end, it was the answer he was looking for: how to break the demon curse. The consequence would be losing half his own heart, but to Keith, having half a heart was better than no heart without Shiro. 

Keith sets up everything he needs before Shiro can open his bedroom door. Candles were lighted, chant memorized and his dagger was ready. The full moon takes her place once more above Keith, as if wanting to get the best seat to watch what happens next. He needed to do this, there wasn’t any other option and if Keith had to walk through hell and back to unbound Shiro from this curse, then he would do it without hesitation. 

Shiro walks through the door, as expected. Keith ambushes him at once, pushing him onto the balcony, where a circle and symbols are drawn with white chalk. This part he was used to; ambushing demons was part of his job as a demon hunter before he ended them. Tonight, he must save this one. 

Moonlight streams through, shining on Shiro’s shocked expression. 

“Keith, what are—“

He’s cut off by Keith chanting the incantation. Suddenly, Shiro stops moving completely, frozen by the spell. 

Keith knows he will lose part of his own heart if he does this, but for Shiro, everything is worth it. 

He takes the dagger and slices into his palm, letting the deep red seep through the large cut. In his other hand, he holds the heart of his love. He squeezes the cut palm, dripping the warm blood over Shiro’s heart. Each droplet seems to glow brighter as they descend onto the heart. It sizzles upon reaching the surface, turning the heart from black to a lighter grey-ish red. Its beating slows down a little, making Keith worry, but he pushes it aside to continue the process. The candles flicker before glowing brighter, and the moon seems to shine brighter above.

Keith casts the final spell and pushes Shiro’s heart into his chest, where it’s supposed to be. It dissolved into it without a problem, as if it is fated to return someday. 

Time slows down as Shiro moves in slow-motion. His band bends backwards as if Keith had just struck him. He collapses onto the ground, where Keith catches him in his arms. 

Shiro’s body is still and cold. He doesn’t even breathe, let alone move. Keith doesn’t know whether to shake him or not. He doesn’t even know if what he’s done has worked. He feels his own heart beating, though it is slower than usual. He waits, but there’s no sign of life from Shiro’s body. Keith fears for the worst, he tried to save Shiro but in doing so, he may have ended his life. A hot tear pricks his eye, sliding down his cheek. His fingers, stained with blood, caress Shiro’s face, the blood staining pale skin. 

“You have my heart, Shiro, you always will,” Keith says softly, not sure if Shiro’s heard it. He means it both ways — literally and metaphorically. 

Shiro’s eyes open slowly, trying to focus. They’re grey now, instead of the fire within. 

“And you have mine,” he answers with a tiny, warm smile. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Come talk to me at Misttiique on [Tumblr](https://misttiique.tumblr.com/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/misttiique).


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